HbbTV advances in Russia

The Russian satellite operator Orion is introducing HbbTV for broadcasters that use its services.

Quoting a statement from Orion, AKTR reports that only two channels in Russia use or have used HbbTV to date, namely Channel One (for specific programmes such as Who wants to be a Millionaire) and the sports-based Match TV (2018 World Cup).

While there are currently over 1.2 million devices compatible with HbbTV in Russia, the inclusion of the HbbTV function in smart TVs will significantly increase the audience. The current market potential is estimated at 16.4 million units.

Commenting on the launch of the new product, Orion group’s CEO Kirill Makhnovsky said: “The growing interest on the part of federal television channels to use HbbTV services, the growing sales of Smart TVs in Russia and the expansion of the range of TV manufacturers interested in including the service in their models allows us to count on the high potential of this segment. The development of this direction is especially important against the background of the acute need of pay-TV operators for new tools to work with the existing subscriber base”.